If you've ever sat, tapping your feet to the distinctive sounds of Country Music, marveling at the beat, the guitar chords and above all else - the lyrics, then maybe you've sat there and thought, "I could write better lyrics than that," or "how hard can it be to write a song?"
Surprisingly you don't have to be a creative genius to write a truly heartfelt Country song. Country is all about the journey, every song tells a deeply personal and more often than not, extraordinarily sad story, so pick up a pencil, and think of the "story of your life" the one story that always makes you cry, the worst time in your life, tap into your inner pain.
What can you write about?
If it hurts, it will work well as a Country Song, if it's painful to discuss, then it's perfect, here are some ideas:
* Lost Love
* Death
* Unrequited Love
* Drugs and Addiction
* Alcoholism
* Life Lessons
* Depression
* Prison
* Cowboys
What if you have no pain?
If you are lucky enough not to have a specific sad or painful time in your life, just grasp onto someone else's pain, here are some ideas to help to get your creative juices flowing:
* Listen to some country music, get your head in the right mood
* Watch a very sad movie
* Watch the news
* Imagine losing someone close to your (warning, could keep you depressed for a while)
* Volunteer for a day at a hospice or a cancer ward
* Read a sad poem
If all else fails, just start writing and see where it takes you.
Do you have to plan your lyrics?
The best Country Songs in the word started out as an inspiration and then turned into organized lyrics. Don't start out planning your whole song; it takes away the spontaneity, instead start writing and see where it takes you. Then when you have written a very rough first draft you can go back over and cross out, change and adapt, try to keep to just one story line at once, don't cross over into other's, there's always more songs for that!
What if you can't get it right?
It doesn't matter how many times you need to change your song to make it right, keep editing and editing, until it sounds perfect for you, and conveys the message and tone you intended, remember it is unlikely you will write a perfect song first time, after all if you get perfection what's left to strive for?
What about the music?
If you are no good at music, don't worry, there are plenty of people out there who can play the guitar, which is all you really need for a Country song, but even if you just know the basics, it doesn't take much to add accompaniment to your song, learn a couple of simply chords which you can repeat.
What's the difference between writing Country Music Lyrics and other lyrics?
Think of Country Music as telling a story, so your words should flow as if you were telling someone what happened, many take on a tone of confession, unlike other types of music, it isn't just about the chorus, it's about the words!
Will it be a hit?
You never know, if you want to make it a hit, you will need to hook the listeners in early on in the song, so add something very interesting in the first few lines and make that chorus catchy!! With a little work, you will surely find your inner Country Music writer, and be writing endless songs in no time!
